Valor Mortis review: even with satisfying parry-focused combat, it's impossible to overlook flaws

Valor Mortis is a first-person 'Souls-like' game set in a war-torn world where humans have been transformed into monsters. The developers, One More Level, have nailed the satisfying parry-focused combat, rewarding players with a gratifying audio cue when they time a deflection perfectly. This is followed by a devastating finishing move, which is especially enjoyable when facing off against various foes such as Napoleonic soldiers, reanimated corpses, and unique creatures.

The opening of the game is strong, with players awakening on a battlefield surrounded by corpses and Napoleon's voice encouraging them to move forward. However, the conflict has turned into something far worse, with a plague of sorts transforming humans into monsters and unlocking mystical powers for the protagonist to use in their quest to understand what has happened.

The game's progression is slow, with players starting with a sabre and eventually unlocking a pistol, fire-shooting abilities, and more. Combat requires players to switch between melee, ranged, and magical powers at will, often needing to do so to effectively tackle different enemy types. Each encounter requires players to assess threats and break down the best way to take them out or exploit a weakness with the tools at their disposal.

While the combat is satisfying, the game's level design often includes traps and "gotcha" moments that feel cheap rather than challenging when they happen repeatedly in quick succession. Boss fights that mix combat, puzzles, and platforming elements are the game's peak moments, but the developers have occasionally focused too much on trickery, leading to frustration.

Additionally, some sections of the game, such as dark, windy corridors and minecarts, can become too chaotic for players to react quickly enough, resulting in a reliance on brute force and luck.